For a flower farmer, the arrival of February is like hitting the green light!
It’s a month when we’re found knee-deep in preparation for an amazing growing season ahead. The days are filled with seeding, transplanting and maintaining those awesome flowers that are sure to star in tomorrow’s bouquets!
The adage ‘the early bird gets the worm’ is true for flower farmers. Providing those early blooms to your customers and clients helps secure their loyalty to you early in the year. After all, who isn’t looking for fresh, locally grown flowers these days?
Valentine’s Day is the most popular “flower day” of the year, and it’s fast approaching. Sadly, flower farmers miss out more often than not on this day because of the cold temperatures of winter. Sure, anyone can grab one of those over-priced, red-rose bouquets for Valentine’s Day. But why should anybody do that when you can offer something much more personal?
If you haven’t yet prepared an abundance of anemones and ranunculus, or forced tulips and other spring blooms, don’t despair. Divert your creative juices to offering your customers and clients a CSA flower subscription for the coming months. This not only attracts your target audience by promoting your expertise, it also brings in extra revenue during the slow season of flower farming.
More than ever these days, folks are realizing that small businesses are the backbone of their community. And offering CSA flower subscriptions allows them the opportunity to support a local farm while bringing beauty into their homes.
There are several things to consider before launching a CSA flower subscription service.
- Decide what month it will begin.
- Decide how many weeks the subscription will run.
- Know what flowers will be in bloom during the subscription period.
- Set a limited number of sign-ups to ensure you can meet the demand.
- Schedule a day and place for pickup and/or delivery.
- Determine the cost of a subscription.
But let’s not stop there. Consider offering bouquet gift certificates. A gift certificate is a brilliant option for customers and clients who aren’t sure what to buy their Valentine but know their loved one adores flowers. Just be sure the gift certificate indicates a redeem-by date and the kind of flowers to expect in a future bouquet!
I hope these ideas have helped you find your way through the month of love when flower farming might not exactly be a booming blooming business!
When it comes to flowers, give extra!
Happy Gardening!
—Pamela Anthony
Beehind Thyme Farm & Garden